The Scent of the Sea
by swinglifeawayxx
Summary: She waited until he stood over her, his eyes staring down into her own. His dark orbs skimmed over her skin, glistening with water and moonlight. Slowly, she placed her feet back on the sandy floor of the sea, and stood to meet his gaze. Nick/Miley.


For the searchers and the wishers, for the lost and the found, for _anyone still with me._

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><p><strong>The Scent of the Sea<strong>

_swinglifeawayxx_

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><p>The whisper of the wind played in her hair softly, sweeping it back into its breeze.<p>

Tendrils curled around her cheeks, falling occasionally into her eyes, eyes reflecting the glowing moon, opaque and alone. The soft scent of the sea clung to her like a veil, it sweet bitterness surrounding her. Her gentle sighs played on the wind as the sea danced quietly before her, the waves murmuring to one another as they broke on the shore.

The sounds of the party down the beach – the party that she escaped from hours before – drifted vaguely in the back of her mind. The young voices rose and fell, overlapping and melding into a mass that she no longer belonged to. She glanced toward the sounds for a moment, her cerulean eyes a deep blue in the darkness, watching the small silhouettes of the people reflected in the light from the house. They twisted and wove through one another, but she felt no pull to them; she merely turned and watched the endlessness of the sea fold in on itself once more.

In her mind danced the images of past days by the ocean, past moments of turmoil, but also of light. She remembered the feel of the cool water on her burning skin, soothing burns and hurts as she floated in the surf. She remembered the gentle sway of the water, as soothing as a mother's arms and as strong as the stars. She recalled her moments alone with sea, gazing over an endless horizon and wishing, waiting, hoping, **_being. _**But most of all, she remembered the feeling of the waves as his arms wrapped around her, encasing her in his warmth. She recalls the shivers as his lips danced along her skin, his curls brushed her neck, the water swaying to the motion of their love.

With a sigh she stood, feeling the cold sand beneath her feet. She glanced once more back at the far house, the house where she knew he would be. It was his party, after all.

Mustering another sigh, a resigned one this time, she moved forward toward the sea's embrace. She walked in the warm night air, by the light of a silver moon, until her toes were graced with the touch of cool water.

_Welcome home,_ the sea seemed to call. _Welcome home._

Her murmurs of relief mingled with the welcoming winds as she stripped off layers of clothing, constricting and false. The jeans and blouse fell to the sand behind her. The jewelry fell beside it, glinting in the light, forgotten instantly as she moved to the depths.

The water embraced her as she moved on, feeling it encase her calves, her thighs, up to her stomach. Its comfort soothed her so. Once the water rose to her chest she breathed, just breathed in the sea's secrets and wishes and endless memories, sinking lower and lower until her eyes closed and all she could hear was her own heart beating. The water flowed all around her, hair swirling around her face, and her closed eyes felt the power of endless tons of water pressing in from all sides. Everything disappeared: the excited laughter of the carefree souls from down the beach, the lonely sound of her uneven breathing, even the light from the moon was gone beneath the surface.

When her lungs began to burn, she rose from her solitude into the open air, tossing her hair back behind her. She faced the nearly hidden horizon, relishing in the feeling of her refreshed skin, her calmed heart -

"Miley."

She wasn't surprised when his voice rang out from the shore, not really. Her breath caught only slightly in her chest, her muscles tightening but her eyes were resigned. She simply continued to stare out into the night, her hands skimming the water around her. The breeze hit her wet locks, seeping down her back, sending chills through her bones.

_"Miley."_

His voice sounded again as her eyes remained glued to disappearing waves. Finally, she let out a long, shuddering sigh, and turned her head to glance at him.

He was a vision: his perfect curls were ruffled slightly by the warm night wind, his plaid button down hugging his lean torso, hands shoved into the pockets of his rolled up jeans, ankles bare and lovely in the moonlight. His dark eyes met hers, glinting in the darkness. She graced him with a bittersweet smile, before turning back to face the waves. She heard him make an exasperated sigh, frustrated with her silence.

"Mil-"

She cut off his silken voice as her name began to slip through his lips once more, sliding back into the water, relishing in the feel of its nebulous arms surrounding her. She swam out further, hearing muted sounds of his voice above the water, far too muffled to be understood. She flipped to her back, her nose, lips, and eyes breaking the surface to stare up at the starry sky. Her back arched gently to keep the barest parts of her afloat above the gentle waves. The stars shone down silver as her ears listened to the deep sounds of the sea and her nose breathed in its life. From the corner of her eye, she saw movement, but she did not stir. It was only him, after all.

She waited until he stood over her, his shirt shed, his eyes staring down into her own. His dark orbs skimmed over her skin, glistening with water and moonlight, her long hair curling and caressing her like the wind. Slowly, she placed her feet back on the sandy floor of the sea, and stood to meet his gaze.

"Why did you leave?" he asked simply, his voice barely more than a whisper. She contemplated for a moment, taking in the angles of his face, the intensity of his being. She tilted her head to the side, a sad smile overtaking her beautiful face. He waited.

"Because you didn't ask me to stay," she finally answered.

He nodded slowly, understanding. He glanced out over the water, his timeless face and eyes unreadable, before turning back to her, his tall frame overtaking her as he took a step forward.

She gasped as warm hands wrenched her forward, pulling her against a firm chest. One strong hand grasped the back of her head, pulling it to his shoulder, the other splayed across the small of her back almost harshly, pressing her tightly to him. She felt the roughness of denim rubbing against her legs and stomach, bare skin against her breasts, soft hands caressing her bare back. Her arms slowly came up and wrapped around his thin waist, her fingers digging into the skin.

His lips ghosted over her temple and cheek, brushing her jaw, stopping a hair's breadth from her lips.

"Stay," he whispered simply, before capturing her soul with his lips.


End file.
